A Songblood's Secret
by Ariao
Summary: A year has passed since Rido was destroyed and the usual antics of Cross Academy are back...or are they? On patrol, Yuki and Zero come across someone collapsed outside the gates. Covered in blood, they mistake her for a human and bring her to the infirmary, only to discover that she's a Songblood! And her secret may be the one thing that sends Cross Academy into a full-scale war.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1~ Songblood

Pain. Exhaustion. Everything had taken a toll. After three days and two nights, the wounds had built up. My power was spent from all the times I had been forced to use it to just escape.

Through blurred vision, I could just make out what appeared to be a gate. Letting out a breath of relief, I sank to the ground. Unconsciousness hit me before I could even wonder where I was.

"Well, that went well." Yuki sighed, with a swift glance at Zero.

"Yeah, whatever." Zero agreed in a bored tone. He was already heading off to patrol near the building. Before either of them had taken more than a few steps, a faint rustle reached them.

"Sounds like someone's trying to sneak around us." Zero said, heading in the direction of the noise. Slightly annoyed, Yuki followed him. Once at the fence-line, they looked around, trying to see where the day class student was. Zero looked around, eyes narrowed.

"Over there!" Yuki grabbed his sleeve and pulled him so that he could see around some bushes at the fence-line. From this distance, he could just make out the form of a girl covered in blood. "Come on, we have to help her!" Before Zero could say anything, Yuki had jumped the fence and was running over to the girl. With an irritated sigh, he followed her.

"We have to get her to the infirmary before another vampire finds her." Zero said stiffly, scooping her up in his arms. A soft thump caught his attention, but he started walking, leaving Yuki to pick up what had fallen out of the girl's hand.

"What is this?" Yuki mused, turning the ocarina in her hand. When she saw that Zero was leaving her behind, she jumped up and dashed after him.

"…And that's how we found her." Those words echoed around in my head for a bit and I closed my eyes tighter for a moment before deciding to risk opening them. At first, I couldn't really make sense of the scene around me. I was lying on a bed surrounded by other empty beds and there was a group of people that were talking near the door.

"I see. I'll look into it to see if any of the night class was out before class started." The one speaking was a guy with maroon-colored eyes and black hair.

"Perhaps Hanabusa was out there. He's bitten humans before." This one seemed a bit friendlier, his golden hair slightly mused, as if he had been outside in the wind for a time. One word that he had said, however, had me bristling in indignation.

"Human? Who's a human around here?" I snapped out, sitting upright. Instantly, four pairs of eyes turned to me.

"You're awake already?" The girl asked, surprise lighting her dark eyes, but I had already jumped out of the bed, terror seizing me as I looked around.

_ I couldn't have dropped it! I made sure I kept a grip on it before now!_ I dropped to the floor to see if it had rolled under the bed when the golden-haired guy came over and put a hand gently on my shoulder.

"Is this what you're looking for?" He asked lightly, holding out the ocarina. Unable to speak, I nodded and gently took it, watching him warily. I had been tricked like this before by other vampires that had wanted my blood, but the guy just smiled and stood up before walking over to stand behind the guy with the maroon eyes.

"So you're actually a vampire?" The girl asked. With a slight jump, I realized that they had no idea who I was, quite a difference from what I was used to.

"Right." I stood up and nodded to the small group. "My name is Ariao Narasa." The name seemed to sink in with the two guys, for they looked at each other in surprise.

"Narasa? As in the family of Songbloods?" The guy with the maroon eyes asked softly.

"So you've heard of us." I tensed, waiting for him to demand that I hold still so he could drink my blood.

"What are Songbloods?" the girl asked, tilting her head to one side. The shock must have shown in my expression because the girl looked at me with narrowed eyes, as if daring me to say something.

"Yuki, Songbloods are common vampires that have an extraordinary gift with music. Depending on what the individual Songblood decides, they can do almost anything with music, from breaking seals to conjuring up illusions." The golden haired man said lightly, casting a quick look at me. "They also have some of the sweetest blood among vampires, which would explain why she's a bit tense."

"Great, glad that's settled. Now, how about someone tell me where I am?" I said, pointedly looking around.

"This is the infirmary at Cross Academy." Yuki said, pride in her voice. A quick shiver went through me.

_Cross Academy. Again, I hear that name. Just how am I connected with this place, anyhow?_ If this really was the famous Cross Academy, then maybe I was closer to finding the truth here…about my father.

"Are you sure you're alright?" I jumped back, nearly colliding with the bed behind me, as the golden haired guy startled me out of my thoughts.

"I'm fine." I said, giving my head a quick shake.

Before she died, my mother had told me that my father had always been someone who was never to be mentioned. On her deathbed, she finally told me that if I really wanted to know who my father was, he had last been seen at Cross Academy. Since that night three months ago, I had been trying to find this place, hoping that there would be some clue as to who my father was. In that moment, my mind was made up. Looking at the group, I took a few steps forward and knelt before them, pride almost stopping the words from coming out.

"Please tell me. What do I have to do to become a member of this academy?" After a long moment of silence, Yuki finally spoke up.

"Well…it's up to the headmaster and Kaname, here, for you to be entered here." I chanced a glance up to see her glance at the man with the dark maroon eyes.

"As long as you understand who's in charge here, I don't think there'll be a problem." Kaname said slowly, catching my gaze.

"Why would I have a problem with who's in charge?" I tried to keep the challenge out of my tone, puzzled as to why that was the thing he had chosen to say. There was another long moment of silence before Kaname turned to look at the guy with golden hair.

"Takuma, go with her to the headmaster's office and help get her into the school." Kaname said, and then cast a glare at me. "Let's hope this late arrival knows her place better than our last one." I met his glare for a moment before looking away and getting to my feet. As I followed Takuma out of the infirmary, I overheard Yuki whispering to Kaname.

"Do you really think it's possible?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was true, but I need her close in order to find out."

After that they were out of earshot and I was forced to put it to the back of my mind for now. Takuma tried to make some conversation, but when I remained silent; he finally gave up and focused on getting me to the headmaster's office.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2~ Cross Academy

"I'm surprised that Kaname has taken the interest in you as it is." I looked up at the headmaster as he handed me yet another stack of papers. "At the moment, we've only had aristocrats and, of course, their pureblood leader, Kaname." Headmaster Cross's eyes narrowed when his gaze met mine before turning to look out the window.

_Just how many pages are there?_ I wondered, looking quickly at the new stack of papers before setting them to the side and continuing with the basic forms. Takuma had left me there with the headmaster over an hour ago and it seemed like I was going to be buried under the papers before I could make sense of them.

"I know it's a lot, but we have very strict rules on vampires here and I must be sure that you understand them all." Headmaster Cross said apologetically. "Plus, you're a common vampire…."

"Is that all anyone here is concerned about?" I glared back up at the headmaster. "Trust me, if control is what everyone here is wanting, I can do it easily enough." Instantly, I wanted to take back my harsh words. He didn't know what I had learned to endure, what I was forced to do I order to stay alive. No one did.

"What do you mean?" the headmaster asked, watching me carefully. He had picked up on the wording and tone of my voice.

I glanced back down at the papers and scribbled in a few more answers before replying. "Being a Songblood is not all that easy. Most vampires prefer either our blood or human blood. The better you blend in with humans, the harder it is to make you out in a crowd." I said, not looking up.

"You would move in the sunlight?" Headmaster Cross asked after a silence, his voice was soft, almost sympathetic.

"You saw what happens when we move at night." I said, almost wishing I hadn't said anything at all and just let it slide when I had the chance. The blood still staining my clothes was a brutal reminder of who I was.

"Are you sure that's the only reason?" the headmaster asked in a quiet voice. Puzzled, I looked back up at him. Behind his glasses, his eyes held a dark shadow in them.

"That's the only reason I can come up with." I said slowly, watching him carefully. _Does he know something? Maybe something about my father?_ I shook the thought off. If anyone would know anything about who my father would be, surely it would be the pureblood Kaname, right?

"Sorry. I thought there might have been something else." Headmaster Cross said, suddenly smiling lightly. Something about it made me think it was a bit strange, though. It felt like he was keeping something from me on purpose. Finally giving up on the matter for now, I returned to the pages I still had left to do.

It took me almost two more hours before I had finally finished everything and handed it back to the headmaster. Looking out the window, I could make out the start of the sunrise tinting the trees on the school grounds crimson. After pushing the pages over to the headmaster, I got up and headed for the door. Takuma had promised that there would be someone to show me to the Moon Dorms, where the night class slept during the day.

"Finally done?" I looked over to see a boy with messy, pale russet hair and amber eyes leaning against the wall near the door.

"Yeah. And who are you?" I asked, stiffening slightly.

"Relax. I'm not going to bite you. Name's Akatsuki Kain. Vice-President Ichijo told me to show you where the Moon Dormitory is." With that, he pushed off from the all, stuck his hands in his pockets, and started off, not even looking back to see if I was following him. Startled, I hesitated for a moment before taking off after him. No matter how much I hated depending on others, I would have to buckle down and rely on others to show me around for the time being.

"So you really are a Songblood." I jumped back a pace, not even realizing that he had leaned over to sniff at the blood that remained on my clothes. He sighed and looked at me for a long moment, his gaze holding mine for a long moment before he turned again and resumed walking.

_Did I imagine it, or did he have a glint of surprise when he looked into my eyes?_ I thought as I followed a pace behind him. It seemed lately that my eyes caught a lot of people off guard. Everyone here had tensed when they saw my eyes, but then, I couldn't say I really blamed them. After all, how many vampires had eyes that were totally different in color like mine?

The sun was completely over the trees when we finally reached what Akatsuki called the Moon Dorm. The sheer size of it made me hesitate. _It's more like a mansion than an actual dorm!_ I thought as he looked back at me quizzically. I gave my head a quick shake to clear it before following him into the grounds. This place was definitely going to take some getting used to.

"Glad to see you made it back alright." I jumped as Takuma came out of the dorm to greet us, a smile plastered on his face. I saw the two of them exchange a glance before the Vice-President nodded to my guide. Akatsuki sighed and headed into the dorm while Takuma stayed outside with me.

"This won't be easy for you, but try not to be too concerned with how things go." Takuma said softly, not looking at me. "It's hard for them to forget the past, especially surrounding the circumstances."

"Forget the…what are you talking about?" I asked, gazing at him curiously.

"Just try to bear with the others." Takuma turned his green gaze on me, an almost pleading look in them. "We just had peace restored here after….And most would rather keep it that way than to see it fall back to chaos."

I took a small step back in confusion. What had he been about to say that would have caused him to trail off like that? Before I could ask him, he was pulling me into the dorms, the smile back in place.

"I know you'll enjoy it here." He told me, as if we had been having a completely different conversation. With a sigh, I allowed him to pull me up a large staircase and down a long hallway. "Here you are. This will be your dorm." Takuma finally released his grip on me and gave me a real smile. "Welcome to the Cross Academy Night Class, Ariao." With that, he spun around and walked lightly off, leaving me to enter my home for the rest of the term.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3~ Night Class

A knock made me jump to my feet. I had been sitting at the desk for the last few hours, a quill in my hand, trying to find a way to keep track of what had happened so far. So much had happened in such a short amount of time!

"Ariao? Can I come in?" It sounded like Takuma. Setting the quill down and capping the ink, I let out a quick sigh before calling out that he could enter. He opened the door and looked around a bit before seeing that I was near the desk and came over, smiling like he had since moment one.

"Is it almost time for class already?" I asked, picking up the notepad that I had been scribbling in.

"Yeah. Kaname wants you to stay with me and Kain for the first few days until you get used to the schedule." Takuma smiled brightly and I couldn't hold back the sigh. "Something wrong?" He asked, eyes focusing on mine for a moment before looking away.

"I've just never been one for relying on others before." I told him stiffly as I started to head for the door.

"You don't trust us?" I jumped back from the door as Akatsuki made his presence known. Gritting my teeth for a moment I glared at him before snapping out my reply.

"Trust runs quite thin as a Songblood, buddy." I saw Akatsuki's eyes flash crimson for a moment and I tensed, ready for a fight. With a soft cough, however, Takuma pushed between us and glanced apologetically at me.

"I understand it may be hard at first, but most of us are able to control ourselves." I met his gaze before turning and heading back down the hall.

"If there's class to go to, we might as well get going." I said, not looking at them. Even if what the Vice-President said was true, there were still those that were willing to break the so-called peace for a blood meal. Behind me I heard Akatsuki mutter something about me "learning my place" to Takuma, but chose to ignore it. At the top of the stairs, I paused, taking in the group that waited below me. As if they had been waiting for me, they all got to their feet, and one of them, a blond haired boy with icy blue eyes, stalked forward.

"You're the Songblood?" He asked coldly. I could see a slight tint of crimson in his eyes.

"Hanabusa!" Takuma stepped in front of me before I could say a word. The others had come to the base of the stairs and were watching us, a few of them gaining the crimson in their eyes. The one named Hanabusa let out a light growl before looking away and stepping back. From that simple movement the tension peaked in the room.

Going on instinct, I pulled my ocarina out from my bag, took a deep breath, and began to play. The first thing that came to my mind was a peaceful meadow with a calm lake so that was what I decided to play. After the last note had faded, the group was all staring at me with wide eyes, though to my relief, the tension had all but vanished.

"So it is true." Hanabusa said quietly after a few moments. Takuma put a hand on my shoulder for a moment; a small smile etched on his face, and led the way down the stairs. Giving my head a small shake, I followed him down, quickly followed by Akatsuki and Hanabusa. At the base of the steps, I paused. Something wasn't right….

_Fire. Lots of fire. The smell of smoke was enough to make someone go mute. From the depths of the flames came a figure in a dark cloak, the hood concealing his face. The vampire crouched before me in a low bow, eyes seeming to be locked on the ground._

_ "I have returned for you, Ariao." The vampire said voice silky. I took a step back, only to bump into another._

_ "We are here for you, my lady. We shall make sure this place pays for holding you captive." The second vampire said, also dropping into a low bow. As if on cue, more vampires came to bow before me. Terrified, I spun around to see what was really burning behind me. Cross Academy, engulfed in flames and barely able to be recognized, stood darkly outlined against the growing moonlight._

"Hey! Are you going to move or not?" Hanabusa asked pointedly. I jumped and spun around, snapped out of the vision. Hanabusa was standing at the door, looking back at me, blue eyes glittering in annoyance.

"Yeah, I'm coming." I told him, heading for the door. I heard Akatsuki sigh and realized that he had been waiting behind me the whole time. The noise at the door made me shrink back for a moment, but Akatsuki grabbed my shoulders and pushed me out the door in front of him.

"Just keep moving." He told me, finally letting go of me at the gate. Hanabusa was grinning from ear to ear as the gates opened up and the noise from the other side got louder.

"What's…?" I trailed off as Takuma lightly pulled me along after him.

"Welcome to the first day of the night class. This is usually the greeting we get when we leave our dorms." Takuma explained, smiling brightly.

"Every evening?" I whispered, starting to wonder if this wouldn't drive them all crazy before the end.

"They never mean any harm by it. So we just go along with it." Akatsuki said, hands in his pockets once more.

Class was sort of boring. The only use the teacher had that I could tell was just to make sure none of us left without permission. Other than that, the group only looked like they studied. I sat at the back of the classroom with Hanabusa on one side (Takuma was standing next to Kaname near the front), and Akatsuki on the other. Left to my own thought, my mind wandered to the strange vision I had had earlier.

_ That's right. I forgot that as long as no one takes my blood, I could see these things._ I thought, dimly aware that I was drawing pictures of flames on the bottom of my notebook. Just who had those people been? And why had they treated me as a Pureblood? Before I was even aware of it, the flames turned into a pair of eyes, one shaded darker than the other.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4~ Flames

I was barely able to keep the tremors from running through me. There had never been a time when I had wished to have had blood drawn as I did now. Both Hanabusa and Akatsuki were looking at me in a puzzled manner and Kaname's eyes seemed to pierce through to my very soul. The pen slipped from my hand and seemed to clatter on the desk with an echoed effect in my ears.

"Hey, come on. What's wrong?" Akatsuki asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. I tensed, still half thinking of the strange vampires from my vision, and pulled away roughly, nearly crashing into Hanabusa instead.

"Hey!" Hanabusa grabbed me, holding me tight against him as I tried to pull away. "What gives? You're so jumpy right now."

"Leave her be, Hanabusa." Takuma said, taking a few steps away from Kaname, his green eyes shadowed. Hanabusa glared at Takuma for a moment before I felt him lean forward a bit to sniff at my hair.

"Such a nice scent." Hanabusa breathed before letting me go. I staggered and spun around to glare at him, but his eyes held no trace of crimson light. Throughout the whole experience, no one else had moved a muscle, not even the teacher.

"You alright?" Takuma asked, coming over to stand before me. Still off balance from what had just happened, I only nodded. "That's good." He sighed, smiled quickly at me, then headed back to Kaname's side, where the two proceeded to whisper about something.

"Man, what a pain." Akatsuki sighed, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes. I snapped a glare at him, only to hear Hanabusa take the words from my mouth.

"Why don't you try being surprised once in a while!" He snapped, startling me again as he jumped to my defense. I had never had anyone jump that quickly to my defense in all of my memory.

"Just calm down, Aido." I looked over at a woman with light russet-pink hair and matching eyes.

"Watch it, Ruka." Hanabusa growled, glaring daggers at the woman. Tension peaked again and I winced, reaching hesitantly for my ocarina. When Ruka stood, ready to march over to us, I decided that that was my cue. Swooping down, I unzipped my bag, pulled out my ocarina and started to play.

I don't know what made me choose the lullaby my mother had taught me, but for whatever reason, that's what I played. Everyone froze and looked at me for a moment before I saw eyes glazing over and Ruka sat back down. Once the tension had fallen enough in the room, I stopped and sat back down, closing my eyes for a moment.

_This is starting to feel like a pattern…on my first day here!_ I thought before putting my precious ocarina back in my bag. A hand on my shoulder made me tense and open my eyes, only to see Hanabusa gazing at me.

"Quite an ability you've got." He said softly. I blinked in surprise. How many more times was he going to surprise me before class was done?!

As it turned out, that had been the last. After that, we had both focused on other things, though I put my notebook away before I could figure out about the strange pair of eyes that had come from the flames. Once class was over, we all headed back to the dorms in the same order that we had come in.

Once back in the dorms, I was forced to sit between Akatsuki and Takuma in the sofa closest to the stairs. The whole night class was gathered in the room, some standing, others sitting where there was room or on the stairs. Kaname was leaning close to the door, waiting for the others to settle in. I had no idea what this whole thing was about, but from the murmurs I could pick up around me, I could tell that this was something out of the blue.

"I know everyone's puzzled," Kaname began, pushing off from the wall. At the moment he spoke, the room fell silent. "But there is something that needs to be addressed." He turned his gaze on me, eyes narrowed. "Ariao, what happened earlier in class that caused you to jump like that?" At once, I felt the gaze of every vampire on me.

_What could I really tell them? Even if I tell them about the vision, they wouldn't understand why I would have any vision._ With everyone still waiting on an answer, I looked at the floor. "Sorry, it was something from my past." I lied.

Thanks to me looking at the floor, I had only a second's warning before Kaname grabbed me by the front of my uniform, forcing me to meet his gaze. "Are you sure about that?" He asked darkly, eyes gaining a crimson glow. Terror like never before hit me as I met his gaze as best I could. I could defy an aristocrat easily enough and common vampires even easier, but with a Pureblood…I didn't even want to _think_ of the consequences for fighting one.

"I…" I trailed off, aware that the students were all staring at us with shock. "I saw…flames…before I left with the group for class." Kaname let go of my uniform and I fell back onto the couch, trying to hide the tremors running through me.

"The same flames that you were drawing on your notebook?" Takuma asked beside me. I nodded, grateful for the momentary distraction.

"What made me jump was…was the eyes that appeared." I admitted softly.

"The eyes?" Kaname asked dryly. I could tell from his tone that he thought I had lost my mind, but what I kept quiet about was that the flames had been like the pair of eyes, burning and angry.

"That was tense." Akatsuki said, pushing back his hair with one hand.

"No kidding." Takuma replied with a shaky smile. I was looking at the floor again, feeling that something was wrong again.

_Brilliant light gleamed from the fire somewhere behind me. In front of me was a group of cloaked vampires. Directly behind me was the night class vampires. Hanabusa came over and looked at me pleadingly. Next thing I knew, a pain like fire hit me and blackness folded over my eyes._

"Ariao!" I jumped, startled out of my vision again by Akatsuki. Hanabusa looked at me puzzled for a moment.

"I'm fine." I said sharply, more out of annoyance with myself than with them really. I wasn't used to being able to see these anymore, as so many nights, my blood had been drawn.

"Maybe you're just tired." Hanabusa said, getting to his feet. "You only woke up from collapsing a night ago after all."

"I'm surprised you care." I snapped out, spinning around to stalk off to my room.

"You should be careful what you say." Hanabusa said, and, before I knew what had happened, he grabbed me and pulled me against him. "I bite." As if to emphasize his point, his fangs lightly grazed my neck.

"Hanabusa!" Akatsuki's voice snapped out and he pulled Hanabusa back. "Kaname warned you not to bite her earlier."

Hanabusa's eyes were crimson when I spun around to glare at him. "One sample shouldn't hurt." He purred darkly.

"Enough of this." Akatsuki said, almost sounding bored as he dragged Hanabusa away up the stairs.

_Great. This is going to be an interesting year._ I thought, shaking my head as I headed back up to my room. Once there, I set my bag down and took out my ocarina again. _No reason to change old habits now._ I thought, opening the window and sitting on the window ledge. Closing my eyes, I started to play one of the first songs I had ever learned, a ballad about a vampire that had been considered almost along the lines of a hero during the vampire and hunter wars. When I was done, a voice at the door made me nearly fall out of the window.

"You really are an odd one." It was Hanabusa, leaning against the doorframe, eyes shadowed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5~ Rooftop

"What are you doing here?" I asked, tensing. As far as I knew, he wasn't one of the ones that I had helping me around the school.

"That's a bit cold." Hanabusa said, taking a few slow steps towards me. His eyes were turning more crimson the closer he got to me. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright." He paused a few feet from me, his gaze never swerving from mine.

"Well, I'm fine. You can go now." I said, taking a few steps back, only to have him follow me step for step. "Hanabusa." I let a growl enter my tone.

"You're still only a common vampire, no matter how hard you try to act like one of us." He had me backed against the wall now. "There are still rules you should be holding to."

He was right, and we both knew it. In the hierarchy of the vampire world, the rankings went from former human to common vampire to aristocrat to Pureblood. Within the common vampire category, however, was a number of divisions, one of which being Songblood. Though I was never positive on where "Songblood" ranked in the system, I knew it was somewhere near the top, almost directly below aristocrat. Meaning, in short, that I still had to bow to the students here whether I wanted to or not.

Hanabusa reached out a hand and placed it lightly against my chest, pinning me completely against the wall. "That's a good girl." Hanabusa said, smiling. With his other hand, he lifted my chin, exposing my throat. "Just a quick sample." He breathed, leaning forward.

"Hanabusa, what are you doing?" Out of the corner of my eye I could just see Akatsuki coming in the door. Before I could say a word, Hanabusa's fangs struck and I froze, terror washing over me again. I heard Akatsuki swear before Hanabusa was pulled off me.

"Why are there always interruptions?" Hanabusa pouted as Akatsuki slammed into the opposite wall.

"You know that Lord Kaname told us _not_ to draw her blood." Akatsuki said, running one hand through his hair in frustration.

_This is bad. How many others are like Hanabusa? He had a point with the rankings remark. No matter what I say, I'm still only a commoner._ I thought as I crouched and picked up my ocarina.

After Akatsuki had dragged Hanabusa away yet again, I sank onto the bed, my fingers skimming the puncture wounds on my neck. Thankfully, the blood had already stopped flowing and the wound itself was shallow enough for a bite. With a sigh, I fell back into the bed and was soon fast asleep, the ocarina still in my hands.

When I woke, the sun was about halfway across the sky. I got up and stretched before heading to the bathroom to freshen up. Once that was done, I headed over to the closet and grabbed a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, quickly threw them on, and grabbed my ocarina before heading for the door. I still had enough time before it was time to head for class, and I wanted to see if what I had thought earlier was true.

On the way back to my room yesterday, I had noticed a small flight of stairs that had been almost hidden from view in a corner leading up somewhere. If I had to guess, those stairs were from when the construction people had first built this dorm to lead up to the roof, and that was my ticket to a private spot to practice. If I was right, that is.

With a soft sigh of relief, I was glad to see the steps still in the same place as yesterday. _Not that they would move, but I almost thought I was seeing a hallucination._ I chided myself lightly before taking the first step. A loud _CREAK_ echoed down the hall and I froze, waiting for someone to come and wonder what I was doing. When no one did, I tried another step, only to repeat the process.

I don't know how long it actually took me, moving like that, to reach the roof, but when I finally did, I paused and closed my eyes, glad to have been right about something for once. From the way it looked up here, no one had used those steps in a long time. Leaves had built up in the crevasses between the small wall and the roof and started to decay there. There was even a bird nest tucked away in a corner that was slowly falling apart.

"Might take a bit, but there's still a good view out here." I said to myself, looking back behind me at the view of Cross Academy. I could see plans already to turn this into a sort of private garden. After clearing out a small spot, I sank to the floor, leaned against the small wall, and began to play.

Hanabusa sat up, blinking sleepily. In the bed next to him, his cousin, Akatsuki rolled onto his side and covered his head with the blanket. "Go back to sleep, Hanabusa." He moaned.

"It's not me." Hanabusa snapped, looking around. Just on the edge of hearing was what sounded like someone playing an instrument. _Ariao's probably gone back to practicing in her room._ He thought, then blinked. _Wait…if that were the case, why would we hear it?_ Puzzled, he got up and looked out the door.

"It's no louder out here. Where's it coming from?" He said to himself. Glancing back at his cousin, he slipped out and closed the door behind him.

It took him a good two hours to finally realize that there was a flight of steps that led to the roof, where the music seemed to come from. _How long have these been here?_ He wondered as he started to climb them, pausing every now and then to make sure the music really was coming from this direction. Sure enough, at the top of the stairs, sitting off to one side with closed eyes, was Ariao playing her ocarina.

I paused as I heard someone come up on the roof with me and opened my eyes to see Hanabusa staring at me owlishly. "What?" I asked, not sure whether to be blunt and tell him to leave or not. Hanabusa seemed to snap back out of his trance at my words for he shook his head and glared at me for a moment before replying.

"I don't have to tell you anything." He said smugly.

"Whatever." I shrugged, closed my eyes, and went back to playing. It wasn't long before I got a real answer from him.

"I wanted to see what you were doing up here." He admitted quietly.

I paused. _Did I just hear…concern in his voice?_ I wondered, looking back at him. Turning my attention back to the view of the forests beyond the school fence, I blinked. "Don't worry about me. I've taken worse."

"You shouldn't have to be used to that!" Hanabusa snapped, drawing my attention back to him. His eyes held a bit of crimson and I tensed as he stormed over to me. "Songblood or not, you shouldn't be used to anyone taking your blood!"

"You think that I stroll up to a vampire and tell them to take my blood?" I growled, glaring at him. "You were dead on with the rankings remark. I'm only a common vampire." I saw his eyes change back to their normal icy blue as shock began to show in his eyes.

"You should still do something." Hanabusa said softly, kneeling in front of me so that we were at eye level. "Your music. Why not that?"

"Never enough time." I said sadly, looking away. "Most of the time, they sneak up on me."

"That's why you're so jumpy around us." It wasn't really a question, but I felt the question in the tone. With a sigh, I nodded. "And here I am. I've only made things worse." That caused me to look up. There was a touch of sorrow in his voice that puzzled me.

"Like I said, I'm used to it." I said bluntly. I could tell by the tension that hit him that he was biting back a sharp remark. After a moment, though, he got up, walked over to clear himself a spot nest to me, and sat back down.

"I think I'll stay up here for a little while." Hanabusa said, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall.

"Do whatever you want." I said, not looking at him. At that point, I didn't really care what he did, so long as I could practice in peace. I was pretty sure he had fallen back asleep before I started playing again, so I kept the tone of the music soft.

_His control has a bit to be desired, but he really doesn't seem all that bad._ I thought, leaning back again and closing my own eyes while the lullaby from my mother filled the air.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6~ Ice and Moonlight

We stayed on the rooftop until the sun was starting to sink below the trees and the day class began to gather at the gates. "Looks like that's our cue." Hanabusa said, opening his eyes. I had stopped playing some time ago and had been content to just sit and watch as Cross Academy began to come to life with the flow of day class students.

"Seems like it." I agreed quietly, watching the disciplinary committee members try to hold off the tidal wave of day class students. "Looks like they've got it rough." I said, nodding to where Yuki and Zero were forcing back a group of ambitious girls. I looked over at Hanabusa as he chuckled.

"Ah, my wonderful fans." He sighed dreamily and jumped to his feet. "Well, I'm off." He winked at me and almost skipped down the steps. I sat there for a moment longer before clutching my ocarina to my chest for a minute. With a sigh, I pushed myself onto my feet and headed back down to get ready for class.

"You seem in a better mood today." I jumped and spun around to see Takuma standing near the base of the steps, smiling, already in his uniform.

"It was nice to get away from the chaos." I admitted.

"Trade one for another?" Takuma asked, eyes glowing in a teasing manner.

"What are you talking about?" I accused, stiffening.

"I saw Hanabusa come down a moment ago. He was more excited than normal." Takuma chuckled and walked past me. I had no reply as the vice president vanished down the hallway. Giving my head a shake, I headed back to my room and changed quickly into my uniform.

"About time you got here." Akatsuki's bored tone drew my attention to the base of the stairs. Everyone else was waiting in the parlor as I came down the steps.

"You ready?" Hanabusa asked, coming up behind me. He grinned mischievously and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against him and startling me.

"Hanabusa." Akatsuki sighed.

"Oh, let them have some fun." Takuma smiled at me. Before I could reply, we were heading out behind Kaname for class.

"Idol! Over here Idol!" That phrase was the one that kept echoing in my head as we walked past all the day class students.

"Idol?" I asked, looking up at Hanabusa, who still had an arm around my shoulders.

"That's my nickname here. My last name is Aido and so it just sort of fit." Hanabusa smiled at me for a moment before turning to a group and waving happily to a group. "Looking lovely today ladies!" He called. This caused a huge reaction among the girls, and everyone started trying to push forward past the disciplinary committee. I sighed as we continued on, aware vaguely that Hanabusa kept a grip on me all the way to class.

Class was a bit of a bore again, but at least it was calmer than yesterday. I had my notebook back out and was drawing out a set of lines for a music staff, wanting to see if I could make another piece to work on for tonight. Beside me, Hanabusa looked over at what I was doing, watching silently. Behind me, Akatsuki was watching us with bored curiosity.

About halfway through the "class" Kaname announced that we could head out on our own for a bit. I was getting to my feet when Hanabusa tapped me lightly on the shoulder. "Mind if I follow you for a bit?" Surprised he would even offer I just managed to nod. Hanabusa smiled and let me lead the way out of the classroom.

A soft breeze was blowing outside, ruffling my hair back towards him. I heard him take a deep breath and then sigh. Looking back, I saw his eyes were closed, a slight look of pleasure on his face. "You really do have a nice scent." He breathed before looking back at me. "So where are we going?"

"I don't know about you, I was heading to the forested area." I said, heading off, gripping my notebook tightly.

"The song you were working on?" He asked and I realized that he was following me.

"Yeah, I wanna make this a special song, so I'm making sure to get everything I can." I could almost hear his thoughts, wondering what I was talking about. In the end, he remained silent and we continued to head deeper into the woods. Once I was happy with where I was, I sat down, leaning back against the tree, closed my eyes, and sighed.

No sooner had I sat down I jumped back up again, eyes wide. "What's wrong?" Hanabusa asked, a tense edge to his voice, but I barely heard him. Where I had been sitting was a small puddle of blood and more was continuing to run down my back. "Ariao?!" Hanabusa grabbed my arms before I could fall to the ground.

"Finally found you." A dark voice chuckled. My vision was blurring already, so all I could see was the light beige overcoat and hood.

"You are going to pay for that." Hanabusa growled, eyes glowing crimson. A sudden chill pierced the air. "Turn to ash through ice." Hanabusa's voice was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

When I woke up, I was in my dorm, the notebook and ocarina on the nightstand near my bed. I sat up quickly and looked at the window to see that the sun was already up in the sky. _How did I get here?_ I wondered, pulling myself gingerly out of bed. I could still feel the pain from the wound of whatever that strange vampire had used, but thankfully, it had stopped bleeding.

A knock at the door made me jump. "Ariao, are you awake?" A moment later, Takuma came in. "Glad to see you're awake." he sighed, coming over to me. "Kaname was wanting to talk to you when you woke." I must have looked a bit nervous, because he put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. Hanabusa is serving his punishment."

"What?!" I pulled away, tense. "Why? Hanabusa's done nothing wrong!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7~ Remembering

"What do you mean? We all saw the blood." Takuma asked, shock etched in both his face and voice. "It was your blood."

"Where's Lord Kaname?" I asked, ignoring his expression.

"Uh…this way." Takuma was still confused, but he took the lead and headed for a door at the opposite end of the hall. He paused for a moment before knocking. "Kaname? She's awake." The door opened and the Pureblood stepped out, maroon eyes dark.

"Are you interested in what Hanabusa's punishment is?" Kaname asked, stepping back.

"That's the problem. Hanabusa never did anything against me!" I snapped, glaring at him. I felt Takuma stiffen and Kaname's eyes gained a crimson light, but I was past caring. I _knew_ Hanabusa had saved me last night and to hear he was being punished for it was something I didn't accept.

"Are you saying that the blood was from another source?" Kaname's voice held a deadly edge that made me flinch back for a second.

"No…I know that it was my blood. What I _am_ saying is that someone else came and attacked me and Hanabusa used his ice to save me." I said, meeting Kaname's gaze as best I could.

"How would anyone have been able to sneak past the security around the academy?" Kaname asked dryly. I was about to reply when my eyes caught the fire flickering in the fireplace in Kaname's room.

_Fire….So much fire…._

_"You have to be go! There's too many here!" I spun around to see a red haired man with amber eyes._

_"There's no way I'm leaving you all here." I snapped at him, feeling the heat of the burning building around us._

_"It's you that they're after, Lady Ariao." Another figure slid out of the shadows of the fire and pulled back his hood, revealing a soot covered face, silver-blue hair, and dark indigo eyes._

_"If I leave, do you really think they'll leave you all be?" I asked sarcastically. I saw a bit of doubt flicker in their eyes but the man with silver-blue hair gave his head a shake._

_"It's the only choice. We will keep you safe." He told me stubbornly._

"Ariao!" I was snapped out of the vision by Takuma's voice. Back in reality, I could feel the wall against my back and the vice president's grip on my wrists.

"What happened?" Kaname demanded, eyes narrowed. I looked at the president, not even sure how to explain it. After a few minutes like this, Takuma finally let go of me and backed away cautiously, like he expected me to jump him for holding me against the wall.

"Go. I'll send someone to fetch Hanabusa." Kaname finally told me, turning his back on us to gaze into the fireplace himself. Shakily, I backed out of the room, leaving Takuma and Kaname inside. Once in the hallway, I sank to the floor, closing my eyes to try and regain myself.

"This is the second time now. Is fire really so connected to me?" I said softly to myself. After sitting on the floor for a moment more, I stood and headed for the stairs that led to the rooftop.

I must have drifted into sleep because I woke when a hand touched my shoulder. I jumped awake only to see Hanabusa crouched in front of me. "Sorry." He grinned. "It's good to see you up here."

"Hanabusa." I breathed, sitting up. He looked a bit battered, but his eyes were still bright.

"Ruka told me that you fixed up what happened with Lord Kaname." Hanabusa said, shifting so that he was sitting next to me. "I don't know how to thank you enough."

"You did nothing wrong. There was no reason for you to be punished." I said, noticing his gaze lingering on a bit of the bandage wrap that showed through the collar of my shirt.

"Does it hurt?" He asked softly, blinking slowly. He reached out and gently touched my shoulder, his gaze darkening and gaining a touch of crimson. I flinched back for a moment and he froze. "Sorry." He pulled back and settled back against the wall.

"Don't apologize. Old habits die hard." I said, closing my eyes. My mind drifted to the vision earlier in Kaname's room. _But is it from the past or what is yet to come?_ I wondered. Before I could think about it further, Hanabusa placed something in my lap. Puzzled, I opened my eyes to see my ocarina.

"You look troubled." He said simply. "You play when something's bothering you right?" I blinked at him and nodded, touched that he had actually known this. He smiled lightly and blinked back. Leaning back against the wall, I closed my eyes and started to play.

Hanabusa just watched me quietly the whole time, and I was glad he was with me up here. _Perhaps Takuma is right. Maybe there is something more with us._ I thought as my newest song began to fill the air. As I wasn't sure what effect it would have, I kept one eye on Hanabusa while I was playing. Once the last note faded, he opened his eyes.

"Cherry blossoms?" He asked, tilting his head a bit.

"It's something that's held a large part of my past." I said, casting a glance at him. I had changed it just enough to make the cherry blossom petals appear instead of what the song was really about.

Burning fires and falling embers.


	8. Quick Story Note

As I have reached a point in this where the story really picks up, I'm asking for at least two reviews before I continue on. Doesn't need to be anything fancy, just tell me what you like or don't like about it. I'm open for suggestions.

I've also thought about having one of the other characters come more…involved…with Ariao since she's at the point where she's starting to trust the vampires at Cross Academy. You can give me an opinion on that if you can't think of anything else to put.

Thank you for all those that have read this story so far! I'm so glad this idea has caught the interest of some! :D


	9. Chapter 8

_**Special Thanks to Deces, Deseya, Nyxgal, Hell's Butterflies, and caniroxs for their support in following and favoriting this story!**_

_**Extra Special Thanks to Rei-is-fit and ishtonayo for their reviews!**_

* * *

Chapter 8~ Dark Secret

_Hard to believe I've gotten to this point._ I thought, sitting on the rooftop. Over a month had passed now since I had come to Cross Academy and I was starting to find myself more at ease around the night class vampires. Although I still tensed up whenever I was in a large group, there were times that I actually enjoyed being around others.

"You've come a long ways as far as trusting us." Hanabusa said beside me, eyes closed, almost as if he had read my thoughts.

"There are times now that I actually forget that I'm a Songblood." I said, setting my ocarina down. "But there are still times that make me remember…." Hanabusa looked over at me for a moment before following my gaze to where the sun was starting to set. We both knew what I was talking about.

**It had all started about two weeks ago, when we were coming back from class one morning. The day class students were heading to their own classes, but a few still managed to see us to the gate. I had been walking beside Hanabusa when one of his "fan girls" came over and gave him a rose, blushing.**

**"For you, Idol." The girls said, dreamily. Being the playboy he was, Hanabusa smiled and took it, winking at the girl, which only caused her to blush harder. I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to sigh, only to freeze. Not all of the thorns had been removed from the rose, and one of them had made a cut in the girl's finger.**

**"Hanabusa." I whispered, knowing that he hadn't had a blood tablet since halfway through class. He didn't seem to hear me, though, and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. The whole night class had stopped and was watching him closely. Thinking fast, I reached over and pulled the rose from him, making sure I grabbed the thorn.**

**The smell of my blood seemed to snap him out of it for he turned his now crimson eyes on me. "Looks like you missed one." I told the day class student dryly. I could see Hanabusa trembling a bit, like he was trying to control himself. The day class student bowed apologetically to us before stepping back.**

**"Quick thinking." Takuma said, nodding his approval, but I could see the effort it was costing him by his own crimson tinted eyes. Once we were out of sight of the remaining day class students, I took out my ocarina and played a quick section of the lullaby, allowing the tension around us to disintegrate. Back at the dorms, I changed out of my uniform and headed up to the roof, wanting to get a little practice in before the cold became too unbearable.**

**"Ariao." I looked over to see that Hanabusa was already up here. His gaze met mine and he stalked over. Before I could take more than a few steps, he had grabbed my shoulders, pulling me against him.**

**"Hanabusa! Get ahold of yourself!" I snapped, trying to pull away.**

**"You only have yourself to blame. Your blood is so tempting." Hanabusa said darkly. Next thing I knew, his fangs had pierced my neck. Eyes closed, I waited, trembling as he drew my blood. After a minute or so, he pulled back, still holding me tight against him.**

**"Better?" I asked softly, surprising myself to find that I hadn't minded in the least. I felt him tremble a bit before pulling away. When I turned to look at him, his eyes had returned to their usual icy blue.**

Ever since that incident, I had allowed him to take some of my blood up here before we left for class, insisting that as long as it kept him out of trouble, it was worth it. Besides, it kept me from seeing those flames anymore and that was good enough for me. I had no desire to keep seeing such visions when all they did was leave me feeling vulnerable and terrified.

"I really can't believe you're so willing with this." Hanabusa told me, getting to his feet. I stood as well, giving my head a shake.

"It's better for both of us this way." I said stubbornly. He still had no clue as to what I was talking about when I said something like that, but he never seemed to push hard for an answer.

"And how is breaking a school rule better?" My blood ran cold as I heard the disapproving tone of the dorm president.

"Dorm president Kuran." Hanabusa said, dropping into a bow. Slowly I turned to look at the Pureblood, casting a quick look at his crimson eyes before following Hanabusa's lead.

"It seems you've forgotten some things." I tensed as Kaname's feet suddenly presented themselves before me. "Ariao, I want to see you in my office. _Now._" I nodded and got to my feet, unable to bring myself to meet Hanabusa's eyes.

"That wasn't the first time was it?" Kaname asked, standing in front of me. I was sitting in the loveseat in the center of his office, looking anywhere but at him. I could tell by the tone in his voice that he was barely controlling himself.

"No, sir. It wasn't the first." I admitted quietly. The tension spiked and instinctively I reached for my ocarina beside me.

"Leave it." Kaname growled between his teeth, making me freeze. I chanced a glance at his eyes and almost wished I hadn't. The usual maroon coloring was gone to be replaced with the crimson of blood lust and rage. But he wasn't looking really at _me_, he was looking more at…my _eyes._

_It's almost like he's directing the rage at someone else!_ I thought. _But who? Hanabusa, maybe?_

"There's a reason for it." Kaname said, pulling back. He turned away from me and took a deep breath before returning his now maroon gaze to me. "What?"

I was caught. On one hand, it would be better for _someone_ to know that I was able to see these things. On the other, I was reluctant to tell anyone for fear of what would happen afterwards. Plus if I didn't give him an answer, he would only get furious again. Closing my eyes for a moment, I sighed. "It's a long story."

The whole thing took about 45 minutes to explain. And explain I did. My reason for wanting to join. Every vision I had seen since coming here to Cross Academy, as well as the consequences of having my blood drawn. When I was finally done, Kaname sat back in the chair behind his desk, hand against his head as he tried to make sense of what I had said.

"So let me see if I have this right. You originally only joined because you wanted to learn about your father. Now you've been seeing visions of Cross Academy in flames and these people that call you as a Pureblood rather than the common vampire you are." He looked at me and I nodded. "Are you sure you don't have any Pureblood blood in you?"

"Not to my knowledge." I said, suddenly remembering what Headmaster Cross had said when I was in his office filling out all the forms. He had asked me the same question. "You know something don't you?" I asked, hands balling into fists on my lap. "You and Headmaster Cross and this whole group. Everyone seems to hint at something when they see my eyes. Why?"

Kaname was silent for a long moment and I thought he wasn't going to give me an answer. I was getting ready to just get up and leave his office when he surprised me. "I have an idea who your father is. We all do."

"How is it that I'm the only one left in the dark then?" I asked tightly.

Kaname sighed lightly and stood up again, turning to face the fireplace. When he spoke, I could barely hear him over the crackle and pop of the flames. "If your eyes are the key to go by, then it is true. I hoped to never see that sort of thing again, but peace can never last forever." He turned to me, eyes shadowed. "We believe that your father…was my uncle, Rido."

"Rido?" I asked. The name wasn't familiar, but my mother had never talked much about my father around me. Kaname nodded.

"Rido tried to destroy the peace here at Cross Academy last year. He brought an army of vampires with him in an attempt to take over this academy." I saw Kaname's eyes tint crimson as he continued. "He took over one of our students once, but it's apparent to me that that hasn't happened to you. Which leaves only one option: Rido Kuran was your father."

"Someone that…that evil?" I breathed, my head spinning. _Was that why everyone was so careful to be nice to me? Because they feared that this Rido person had taken control of me?!_ I couldn't bear to bring myself to believe it, but the thought persisted as I stared at Kaname.


	10. Chapter 9

_**Special Thanks to Deces, Deseya, Nyxgal, Hell's Butterflies, and caniroxs for their support in following and favoriting this story!**_

_**Extra Special Thanks to Rei-is-fit and ishtonayo for their reviews!**_

* * *

Chapter 9~ Truth and Heart

"Do you really have any doubts?" Kaname asked, watching me closely.

"I…I never felt the pull of a Pureblood. I've been a common vampire for as long as I can remember." I jumped to my feet, denial blocking what I was hearing. There was no _way_ I was half-Pureblood!

"Everything you've told me points in that direction." Kaname said calmly, standing as well. I shook my head, spun around, and left, not even caring if I was punished for leaving before being dismissed.

"Ariao?" I pulled back in time to avoid crashing into Hanabusa, who was sitting cross-legged in front of the door. He scrambled to his feet but before he could ask me what had happened, I slipped down the steps towards the front door, ignoring the surprised voices of the vampires already waiting for class.

Hanabusa stood frozen in front of Kaname's door. _What happened?!_ He thought, turning to look at Kaname as he came out of his office.

"Looks like she's having a hard time accepting the truth." Kaname said in a monotone.

"The truth?" Hanabusa asked, taking a step to the side as Kaname walked forward.

"Ariao's father was indeed Rido. Seems like she wasn't expecting that answer." Takuma said, coming to the base of the steps.

"She's just started to trust us and then you pull _that_ one out on her?" Hanabusa growled, glaring at Takuma and Kaname for a moment before spinning around and sprinting down the steps and out the door after Ariao.

I pushed past some bushes in the forest outside of the Moon Dorm. Right now, I just needed some time to myself, though I doubted that I would be really allowed back.

_Everything is starting to fall into place now._ I thought miserably. _Mother would talk about almost every Pureblood, but Rido was a new one to me. She always said that my father was not one to talk about and had to remain a mystery._ I closed my eyes, leaning back against a tree.

"Ariao?!" My eyes shot open when I heard Hanabusa's voice.

_They've already sent someone to hunt me down?!_ I thought looking around. Before I could move, Hanabusa pushed his way forward, his blonde hair mused from the tree branches that had pulled it out of place.

"Ariao, calm down. I'm your friend." Hanabusa said gently, holding up his hands.

"Did Kaname send you?" I asked tightly, stepping so that I could run if need be.

"Even if he did, I'd never hurt you." Hanabusa's eyes were bright in distress. "You have to believe that."

"Like I have to believe that you knew who my father was and never said anything?" I glared at him, feeling betrayed. He had known that I had no idea who my father was and had kept quiet.

"I didn't want you to be hurt by everything else. It was only a rumor anyhow, not fact." Hanabusa said, taking a hesitant step towards me.

"Well, it's fact now." I growled, trembling.

"But it doesn't change how we feel about you. How _I_ feel about you." Hanabusa took the last few steps forward and pulled me against him, his face in my hair. "No number of fan girls could replace you, Ariao." He breathed shakily.

"Hanabusa…." I closed my eyes and leaned against him, feeling the tension drain from me. _I have no way to change the past, but the future can still be determined._ I thought, taking a deep breath before shifting to look up at Hanabusa.

"I'll always have your back." He smiled lightly, icy blue eyes mischievous.

"Might want to be careful about that." I warned him, meeting his gaze.

"When have I ever played safe?" Hanabusa asked, placing a hand under my chin. Watching me for a moment, he leaned forward and lightly brushed his lips over mine. Before I could even react, he pulled back.

I blinked at him, stunned and excited at the same time. _If he really means what he says, then perhaps everything will work out after all._ I smiled and sighed. Hanabusa smirked and pulled out my ocarina from his pocket.

"Where did you…?" I started to ask, but Hanabusa pushed it into my hands.

"You left it in Kaname's office." He said, closing my hand around it, a silent plea in his eyes. Smiling, I leaned against the tree and began to play.

Hanabusa's eyes glistened with confusion at the new song. It was one that my mother had taught me when I was younger. Once, when Songbloods were more common, we used to play at festivals and Soirées. The song I played now was from that time, a cheerful tune that held a bit of festivity in its depths. When I was done, he tilted his head at me.

"It was a festival song that my mother said Songbloods used to play." I said, leaning against him and closing my eyes. "I figured it fit the mood just fine." Hanabusa closed his own eyes for a moment before nodding.

"You're right. It was perfect." He said softly. I felt his lips brush my head and heard him sigh, both of us feeling content.


	11. Chapter 10

_**Special Thanks to Deseya, Nyxgal, Hell's Butterflies, and caniroxs for their support in following and favoriting this story!**_

_**Extra Special Thanks to Rei-is-fit, ishtonayo, and Deces for their reviews!**_

* * *

Chapter 10~ Following

"Hey, Ariao?" I looked up at Hanabusa. "What are you planning to do from here?"

** We had returned to the Moon Dorm just in time to meet the night class as they were leaving the gates. Both of us had met Kaname's eyes for a moment before the Pureblood turned and continued on. Takuma passed us next, a bit hesitantly, green eyes not meeting our gazes. Beyond that, no one else moved. _They're waiting for us to follow in behind Kaname and Takuma!_ I realized, feeling a quick shiver course through me. Hanabusa gave me a quick concerned look, but I just shook my head and turned, falling in behind Takuma. With Hanabusa beside me, the rest of the night class fell in behind us.**

"I don't know. I never actually anticipated them treating me as a Pureblood." I said softly, looking back at my notebook. I really wanted to be treated as a Songblood, like I had always considered myself. "Besides, I'm not even a full Pureblood. Only half."

"Half still means you have Pureblood blood in your veins." Akatsuki said from behind me. "And since you and Hanabusa are a couple now, we are to treat you as such."

"He's right, Lady Ariao. That's who we are as aristocrats." Ruka said from next to Akatsuki. I looked back at my notebook, not trusting myself to speak. Hanabusa placed a hand on my shoulder comfortingly.

_Rankings…always rankings. Why can't we forget about them for once?_ I sighed, leaning into Hanabusa for a moment. But I knew it was futile to think that. Rankings were how order was kept among the vampires.

"It'll take a while to get used to." Kaname said, not looking up from the book he was reading. He turned a page adding, "After a while, you'll wonder how you did it any other way before."

"Easy for you to say." I said, meeting Kaname's gaze for a moment. "But as far as I'm concerned, I'm still only a commoner."

"It's not that easy." Takuma said lightly. "Now that you officially know about your father, we can't hide the fact that we're going to be keeping an eye on you…"

"So _that's_ what's going on!" I jumped to my feet, furious. "You all still believe that Rido has a hold on me." Takuma looked away, not meeting my gaze. He wasn't the only one, the other night class students refused to meet my gaze for longer than a second, save for Hanabusa.

"Ariao, surely that's not what Ichijo meant." Hanabusa said, getting to his feet and pulling me closer. "I think he meant that since it's the duty of aristocrats to protect Purebloods, the rest of the students are going to be keeping an eye on both you and Kaname." Once again, it was Hanabusa that calmed me down.

I closed my eyes slowly for a moment before pulling back a bit and opening my eyes again. Only to tense up by what I saw outside. The moon itself had turned a flaming amber. "What…." I staggered away from Hanabusa and over to the window. _That moon…It can't be true…._

"Ariao, what's wrong?" Hanabusa came over, following my gaze to the moon.

"The moon…the fire….Everything's falling into place." I sank to my knees, trembling. Hanabusa's arms wrapped around me, holding me close.

"Everything will be alright." He whispered, tightening his grip on my shoulders.

_I looked back at the woods behind me. Two vampires were soon at my side. "This is ridiculous. How can we find anything out here?" The first said, dark indigo eyes flashing for a moment._

_"Just have faith, Sorin. We have to be almost there." The second said, pulling back his hood, longer red hair tied into a ponytail._

_"Easy for you to say, Rhyl." Sorin replied, glancing at him._

_"How about you both take it easy?" I snapped at them, tensing when I heard what sounded like footsteps behind us._

_"Damn. They've tracked us already!" Rhyl cursed, pulling out a sword from under his cloak._

"Ariao…! _Ariao, snap out of it!_" I jumped to find Hanabusa still holding me. The whole night class was watching us with wide eyes.

"It seems that you have begun to remember who you really are." Everyone spun around to face the person who had just spoken. Looking over Hanabusa's shoulder, I saw two hooded figures, their beige cloaks hanging so that every part of them was hidden.

"We have been following you for a while now. Do you remember who we are?" One of them asked, lifting his head so that the light fell upon his dark indigo eyes.

"Do you know them?" Ruka asked, casting a quick glance at me, but I barely heard her. My gaze stayed with the two that stood before the whole night class like they had a right to be there.

"Lady Ariao?" The second asked, taking a hesitant step closer. Hanabusa pushed me behind him with a growl in his throat. I saw the one with indigo eyes tense and reach under his cloak, for what, I still wasn't sure, but I wasn't too keen to have a fight break out here. Jumping to my feet, I pushed between them.

"Stop! This is neither the place nor the time for a fight." I glanced over my shoulders at the one I was sure was called Sorin. The tension in the room became almost suffocating for a moment before everyone seemed to relax. Turning back to the two hooded vampires, I felt my own tension. "They're closing in on the academy aren't they?" I asked softly.

"I'm afraid so, Lady Ariao." Sorin replied, pulling back his hood and nodding for Rhyl to do the same. "And they've got us surrounded. There's no hope of running this time."


	12. Quick Story Note 2

So this is just one more quick story note before the last few chapters are released for this book.

Things are finally falling into place, but not a lot is known to the readers right now about these two new charries I've tossed in, Sorin and Rhyl. I've toyed with the idea of coming up with a sort of Prequal to this one and explain who these two really are, but honestly, I'm not too sure.

You will be finding out about this myserious group that's followed Ariao to Cross Academy in the next chapter...or was it the one after... *flips through notes* Yep, it's this next one. Back to the point, however. And the second war at Cross Academy is about to begin.

So let's have a bit of fun with this one. Tell me what you think might happen. As I've said before, I'm open to suggestions, so I'm willing to tweak the plans I have out here for something better. Will Cross Academy be destroyed or will the night class band together and fight off this group that's been following Ariao? You never know what might happen.

Huge thanks to those who have followed and helped me continue this story and to those who have been reading from the shadows! Your support means a lot! :D


	13. Chapter 11

_**Special Thanks to Deseya, Nyxgal, Hell's Butterflies, and caniroxs for their support in following and favoriting this story!**_

_**Extra Special Thanks to Rei-is-fit, ishtonayo, and Deces for their reviews!**_

* * *

Chapter 11~ Raining Fire

"What are you all talking about?" Ruka demanded, gazing from me to the Sorin to Rhyl and back.

"How much do they know?" Rhyl asked darkly, reaching for his sword handle.

"Enough to keep them from being targets." I shot a sharp glare at the vampire and he stiffened for a moment before dropping his stance.

"Ariao?" Hanabusa's eyes darkened slightly as he looked at the two who had moved to my side.

"They are my royal guard." I said slowly to the group around me. "My second-in-command, Sorin. And my healer, Rhyl." I looked at Kaname whose gaze was tinted crimson. "Although I did intend to only find out about my father, Cross Academy also served as a place where I could recover and hide for a time."

"So what exactly are we dealing with now?" Kaname's voice had an edge of ice.

"The group that has currently surrounded the academy has been after me since my mother's death. Who they really are is as much of a mystery to me as it is to you."

"We have reason to believe that they are after anyone baring Rido's blood." Rhyl said, looking around the room.

"We have to warn Headmaster Cross. The school's about to become a battleground." Kaname said, getting to his feet. "Takuma, see to it." The vice president bowed in acceptance. "Class is dismissed for now. I suggest you all head to the dorms as quick as you can."

As I turned to head out of the classroom, Hanabusa grabbed my hand lightly. "Ariao, wait. I know that look in your eyes. Don't put yourself in danger needlessly." I was about to make a sharp reply, but the worried look in his ice blue eyes had me holding back the words. I went over and held him tightly, burying my face in his shoulder for a moment. I felt Hanabusa kiss the top of my head, then pull back. I looked at him and his lips met mine. When he pulled back again, he still looked worried, but there was also a darker light in the depths of his eyes.

"I'll be fine. Promise." I said before pulling away. As I turned away, I felt the tears build up and spill over.

"He's your lover?" Sorin asked me quietly once we were out of the classroom. I couldn't trust myself to speak so I nodded.

"You intend to hand yourself over." Rhyl said, a tint of sorrow in his voice.

"There's no other choice. Cross Academy will be destroyed unless I do something." I choked out, looking at my ocarina. I headed for the Moon Dorm, quickly climbing the stairs that led to the rooftop, Rhyl and Sorin no more than a couple of steps behind me.

_One last song won't hurt._ I thought, settling down. Closing my eyes, I began to play.

Hanabusa paused near the gate to the Moon Dorm. Reality disappeared, replaced by a vision of the Cross Academy building, stones glittering in the morning sunlight. The tone changed a bit and the scene changed to one of sunset outside the Moon Dorm, he could almost hear the day class students screaming right beside him. Then it became a more mysterious feel, reflecting the air that hung around the Moon Dorm. The last note sang of a brighter promise for the academy, where humans and vampires really_ did_ get along.

"That song. She's never played it before now…does that mean that she's…." Terror hit him and he sprinted for the stairs that would take him up to the rooftop. At the top of the stairs, he saw Sorin and Rhyl, but both stood aside for him before he could say a word.

When I finished, I saw Hanabusa come up the steps and looked away.

"Ariao, that song…you're not planning to give in are you?" Hanabusa's voice was full of hurt.

"I have to! This academy is going to be destroyed unless I hand myself over to these vampires. Too many innocent lives are at stake this time." Hanabusa put one arm around my shoulders and held me close. I was terrified at what I knew I had to do, but we both knew that my mind was made up.

"You're not going alone. I'm coming with you." Hanabusa said into my hair. I could feel him trembling with tension and fear, but he did a good job of hiding it from his voice. "I almost felt like I would lose you once. I'm not doing that again."

"Hanabusa." I closed my eyes and leaned into him. For just a moment, it was nice to have a sliver of peace.

We stayed like that until the moon was halfway through the sky when an explosion sounded not too far off. I opened my eyes and jumped to my feet just as Sorin and Rhyl dashed up.

"Lady Ariao, Lord Hanabusa." Rhyl looked us over, relief crossing his amber eyes when he saw neither of us were wounded.

"Where did that come from?" Hanabusa asked, keeping one arm around my waist. I was glad of his support right now.

"Sounded like it came from the main gate." Sorin said tensely, pulling out a pair of tiny binoculars from under his cloak. Striding over, I watched him look out towards the direction of the main gate and he let out a soft curse. "They're storming the grounds on this side." He slowly swiveled, taking in the entire grounds. "They've taken the whole area already and coming fast."

Fires were already springing up around the grounds, slowly creeping closer to Cross Academy and the Moon Dorm. I watched in mounting horror as wave after wave of Level E vampires began to slide into view, eyes burning crimson like the flames.

"The second battle for Cross Academy has begun." I said, more to myself. _And everything is falling into place. My visions are beginning to show my where the truth lies. I only hope this isn't the end for Cross Academy._ I thought, leaning against Hanabusa as he held me tightly against his side.


	14. Chapter 12

_**Special Thanks to Deseya, Nyxgal, Hell's Butterflies, caniroxs, and ShadowedLuv3 for their support in following and favoriting this story!**_

_**Extra Special Thanks to Rei-is-fit, ishtonayo, Deces, the Guests and Demonic Angel 7 for their reviews!**_

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Chapter 12~ War

A shiver went through me as the Level E's started to close in on the Moon Dorm. I wasn't so sure if I could really go through with my plan anymore and instinct was telling me to run, to hide, even to just get back into the dorm until either they came to me…or the Moon Dorm crashed to the ground in flames.

"Not another step closer!" I couldn't hold back the gasp and looked down to see Akatsuki and Ruka standing in front of the dorm.

"We won't let you cause any more destruction to this academy." Akatsuki's voice held an edge of menace as he held up a hand covered in flames. It took me a moment to remember that fire was Akatsuki's power. Seeing those two standing side-by-side in front of the dorm, ready to fight for the academy's sake, made up my mind. Giving my head a shake to clear it, I looked over at Sorin and Rhyl.

"It's time." I told them, hearing the hardened edge to my tone. I held out a hand to Sorin and he blinked before pulling out a bow-and-arrow set from under his cloak and handing it to me. Grabbing it, I put two arrows in place on the string and walked over to the edge of the roof.

"A bow? Somehow it suits you." Hanabusa said, coming over to stand beside me again.

"How did I know you'd say that?" I asked, smiling slightly as I took aim at the closest of the Level E's. Just as the former human lunged, I let the arrows fly where they embedded in the mad vampire's shoulders. The Level E let out a screech before fading to ash and blowing away in the boiling air. "How about we give a hand to them?" I asked, nodding to where Akatsuki and Ruka were slowly being surrounded.

"From up here?" Hanabusa asked, blinking owlishly.

"Focus your ice on the arrow right before it lands." I looked at him as I set another arrow in place. "Trust me."

Hanabusa blinked and gave me a quick hug, lips brushing the top of my head. "Always." He whispered before pulling back to give me room.

I closed my eyes for a moment, concentrating on what I wanted to happen: a wave of ice to cover and destroy the Level E's threatening the Moon Dorm. Opening my eyes, I aimed the arrow between Akatsuki and Ruka and let it fly. I saw the two aristocrats jump apart in surprise as the ice began to spread. I stayed long enough to make sure the first of the Level E's were turning to ash before looking at them. "It won't be long, but it should be enough to let us get down there."

"Let's go then." Hanabusa nodded, eyes glowing crimson. I looked over at Sorin and Rhyl, who both nodded, before turning and taking off down the steps. I could hear the rest of them right behind me as we jumped the last of the steps to the second floor. No sooner had I started to head for the parlor, the window exploded, covering us with glass.

"You're mine, half-blood!" The Level E snarled, lunging for where I was. The former human grabbed me before I could set the arrow in place, but Hanabusa was quicker still, already freezing the vampire. With a desperate cry, the Level E shattered.

"You alright?" Hanabusa asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, struggling to stand. Looking down, I saw some glass shards in my right leg.

"Not with a wound like that, you're not." Hanabusa said sternly, brushing a hand lightly over the ragged wounds. When I couldn't control the wince of pain, he pulled back quickly, eyes wide.

"Right now, there's no time to spare." I said, pushing the pain to the back of my mind as best I could. Hanabusa wrapped my arm around his neck and looked at me.

"Then at least lean on me for support." He said softly, eyes half crimson, half blue with concern. With a soft sigh, I nodded and rested my head against his shoulder for a moment. As we walked, I was leaning on him a bit more than I actually had to, but he didn't say a word about it and neither did I.

"They're getting closer. Within moments, they'll be at the gates to the dorm." Sorin's voice nearly made me lose my footing. I had forgotten that he and Rhyl were still with us!

"We'll just have to hope that they leave soon." I said grimly. I still planned on handing myself over to them, and from the look Hanabusa shot me, I could tell he didn't quite approve of it.

"They should." Rhyl said, keeping one hand on his sword as we entered the grounds outside the Moon Dorm.

"Lady Ariao! What happened?!" I looked over to see Ruka and Akatsuki trot over to us, bot covered in dried blood.

"Level E got through to the dorm." I said, limping a bit away from Hanabusa. "Shattered the window." As I looked around, I almost couldn't believe the strength of the blaze around us, getting closer by the minute. "This is worse than seeing it from above." I whispered, trembling slightly.

"Lady Ariao…!" But the last of what Sorin had been about to say was cut off as a huge net shot from behind a tree. None of us saw it coming through the smoke until the last minute. Whoever had shot the net cannon had an excellent aim, for the only person that wound up under it was me. Once it closed around me, an electric current went through the wires and I buckled, the world spinning.

"Ariao!" Hanabusa ran over and started trying to tug the net off. Dimly, I saw electricity spark around his hands when he tried to pull it off. "We'll have you out soon, just hang on…." At that point, my vision blurred, everything blending together in a mass of colors.

"Not a bad job, Rhyl. Good work in getting her separated like this." I narrowed my eyes trying to focus on the approaching figure as the vampire chuckled darkly.

_What's going on here? Was Rhyl a traitor?!_ I looked in his direction as Hanabusa snarled in front of me.


	15. Chapter 13

_**Special Thanks to Deseya, Nyxgal, Hell's Butterflies, caniroxs, ShadowedLuv3, Chu33Stephanie and mandy618 for their support in following and favoriting this story!**_

_**Extra Special Thanks to Rei-is-fit, ishtonayo, Deces, the Guests and Demonic Angel 7 for their reviews!**_

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Chapter 13~ Betrayal and Trust

"I did my part. Now what about yours?" Hanabusa glared at Rhyl, fury building in him, but the healer made no acknowledgement that he existed.

"Patience. I'll get to it after we get rid of these pests." The other vampire snickered. Hanabusa met his gaze and felt a tremor run through him. _This isn't an ordinary vampire. Is he a Pureblood?_ He wondered, shifting closer to Ariao, who had fallen to unconsciousness from the electricity. The vampire's cobalt blue eyes locked on him, a silent demand to move aside.

For a moment, he was torn. As an aristocrat, he served under Purebloods. But as Ariao's lover, he was bound to protect her, and whoever this vampire was, he _definitely_ meant to harm her. For a moment, the tension thickened in the air, nearly choking him along with the smoke. Then Rhyl stepped forward and whispered something in the man's ear.

"I see. Lover, huh?" Hanabusa shifted slightly closer to Ariao, casting a glance at Akatsuki and Ruka for a bit of help, but he soon realized that they were already under this strange vampire's power. "Then I'll just have to take care of you first." That snapped him out of his indecision. Reaching for what strength he could, he cast out his ice at the vampire.

Rhyl jumped back and the strange vampire vanished before the ice could fully hold them. Sorin let out a snarl and shot off after Rhyl.

A rustle behind him made him spin around, only to see the strange vampire picking up the net with Ariao still tangled in it. "Let her go!" Hanabusa shouted over the roar of the fire, almost upon them now.

"Burn in the flames, aristocrat!" With a loud cackle, the strange vampire vanished.

I had no idea how long I was unconscious, but when I woke, I was tied to a tree outside of Cross Academy. In the distance, I could still see smoke, but it wasn't as bad as it had been before, signaling that the fires were either already out or were close to being put out.

"Awake at last?" I looked over as the mysterious vampire from earlier came forward, one of his eyes now a dark burning crimson. For a moment, relief washed over me at the sight of my brother, and then I paused.

"Nire? What's going on? Why am I tied up like this?" I asked, looking at him. Nire chuckled.

"You don't understand yet?" He asked, taking a few steps closer to me. "I've been after you for so long, waiting for this moment." His eyes gained a malicious gleam. "No…" He said, stopping and holding my chin up so that I was forced to look just above him. "You think I'm here to save you."

"Nire…?" I was puzzled and terrified. _What's he…?_ Before I could think of anything, his fangs grazed my neck. "It's been you? Why?" I whispered, unable to really believe what I was hearing.

"Because I've wanted your ability of foresight for as long as I could remember. I was mad when you up and left on me like that." Nire said darkly. "And when a Pureblood drinks another's blood, they gain their powers." Before I could protest, his fangs met their mark and I stiffened in alarm.

_It can't be! He was my protector for so long when we were younger!_ I closed my eyes, hurt threatening to give way to tears. _Is my blood really the thing that will destroy my whole life?!_

"I suggest you let her go." I opened my eyes to see Hanabusa glaring with pure hatred in his now crimson eyes. Behind him were Akatsuki, Ruka, and Takuma.

"But I've only just started." Nire chuckled darkly, casting a glance at the four night class students. At that, the air became frigid and ice began to creep around Nire.

"I'll make you pay for every wound you've caused her." Hanabusa growled, eyes flashing as I watched the ice thicken in shock. Before I could make sense of any of it, Nire was gone.

Suddenly, I fell forward onto my knees. Looking back, I saw Rhyl sheath his sword and look away. Before I could say anything, Hanabusa had his arms around me.

"I'm so glad to know you're safe." He whispered shakily into my hair. The tension within me boiled over and I leaned against him and cried. "Everything's alright now. It's over." Hanabusa whispered that over and over as he held me tightly. We stayed like that for a good while, the others just watching silently. When I finally managed to get a hold on my emotions, I pulled back from Hanabusa to look back at Rhyl.

"So you were following my brother?" I asked him. Rhyl looked at me for a moment before looking away again.

"I was originally assigned to Lord Nire, yes." He admitted quietly.

"Wait…that monster was your brother?" Hanabusa asked, looking at me with a mixture of shock and horror.

"Don't worry about it, Hanabusa." I turned to him, kissing him quickly. "You were keeping your promise in the end." He kissed me back, relief showing in his eyes for a moment before I turned back to Rhyl.

"So what do you plan to do from here?" I asked, seeing Sorin come up out of the corner of my eye.

"Unless you wish to relieve me of my duties, I still hold to serve the family." Rhyl came over and lowered himself in front of me. "It's up to you on the matter." I thought for a moment, closing my eyes.

"I've never felt anything but trust with you, but now, my decision isn't the only one that matters." I leaned back against Hanabusa, who wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer. Flipping my head back, I looked at him. "What do you think?"

"If you still feel you can trust him, I say we give him another chance." Hanabusa said, blinking at me.

"You both honor me with such trust." I could hear Rhyl's voice breaking with emotion.

"Just don't forget where you've chosen to serve." Sorin's voice sounded behind us. I could hear the warning in his tone.

"After the chance I've just been given? I'd be stupid not to." Rhyl said, standing.

"We should be heading back now." Takuma said, casting a glance at me. "Do you think you can make it back?" Hanabusa and I looked at each other and smiled.

"I'll be fine." Hanabusa helped me to my feet. "Let's go." With the help of Hanabusa and Sorin, we came upon the dorm just as the sun was rising. Everything was burnt and crumbling from the fires, but still standing for the moment.

"Good, you found her." Kaname came forward, maroon eyes bright.

"It was easy enough once we started to pick up the scent of blood." Akatsuki said, hands in his pockets.

"So everything's settled?" Kaname asked me as Takuma went over to stand behind the Pureblood.

"Yes. There shouldn't be any more problems from them." I said, meeting his gaze as I leaned heavily on Hanabusa.

"Then perhaps now, you can have the peace you deserve." Kaname said softly.

_Yes. Perhaps now I can finally be who I've wanted to be._ I thought, looking over at Hanabusa. He smiled and kissed me, his lips brushing over mine.

"The peace you've always deserved." He agreed softly.


	16. Humorous Credit Page

Ariao: So the story has now been told. I don't know, maybe I could have been a bit more…heroic? What _was_ that in Chapter 13?! Kidnapped as soon as I reached the entrance! I mean, sheesh!

Hanabusa: Hey, I was there to save you, wasn't I? *Hugs* Don't worry about the minor details.

Akatsuki: I think we're getting off track here. Wasn't this supposed to be a credits page?

Takuma: Akatsuki's right. Stop arguing about something like that. We're all tired.

Kaname: So the characters from the story are not owned by the writer of this story, except for Ariao, Sorin, Rhyl, and Nire.

Sorin: Did someone say my name?

Rhyl: I could have sworn that someone called for us.

Ariao: I don't think the Songblood idea's been used, but if someone else already came up with it, I'm sorry. I didn't intend to copy it. *bows*

Shiki: How come I wasn't included?

Rima: Or me?

Seiren: Am I invisible?

Hanabusa: We couldn't have too many charries take the spotlight away from the hero.

Akatsuki: You mean Ariao?

Hanabusa: Yes…wait, no! I meant me!

Ruka: Hanabusa, you're such a child.

Hanabusa: Say that again! I dare you! *eyes start to turn crimson*

Ruka: *Glares at Hanabusa*

Ariao: *Pushes between them* I'd also love to give a special "Thank You" shout out to those who have followed and/or favorited this story, which would be… *Pulls out a scroll and opens it* Deces, Deseya, Nyxgal, Rei-is-fit, ShadowedLuv3, ishtonayo, Hell's Butterflies, candiroxs, mandy618, and Chu33Stephanie!

Hanabusa: As well as a personal shout out to all my lovely fans!

Takuma: We'd also like to give an extra-special "Thank You" to ishtonayo, Rei-is-fit, Deces, Demonic Angel 7, as well as the Guest…or Guests…who posted reviews and encouraged us to keep telling this story! *Smiles*

Hanabusa: Farewell to everyone until the sequel!

Ariao: Sequel?! I never said anything about that!

Takuma: I think it's a great idea. *Smiles broadly*

Akatsuki: You would.

Kaname: I suppose it would be alright.

Hanabusa: Then it's settled. I'll be waiting! *winks*

Ariao: *thinking* why did I even mention to them that I was thinking about it?


	17. Preview for A Songblood's Night

_**Special Thanks to Deseya, Nyxgal, Hell's Butterflies, caniroxs, ShadowedLuv3, Chu33Stephanie and mandy618 for their support in following and favoriting this story!**_

_**Extra Special Thanks to Rei-is-fit, ishtonayo, Deces, the Guests and Demonic Angel 7 for their reviews!**_

* * *

_Please keep in mind that this isn't the full chapter. I wanted to be nice and give you a sneak peak of the sequel to "A Songblood's Secret". The next book will be called "A Songblood's Night". Hope you all enjoy this one as much as the first one._

_P.S. I will slowly be working on the Prequel as well, but I haven't been able to think of a title for it yet. I plan to finish the "A Songblood's Night" before actually posting anything on the Prequel._

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Chapter 1~ Nightmare

_It had to be done. There was no getting around it. I sighed as I pulled out the dagger from under my cloak. I had given him chance after chance and he still hadn't pulled through. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before looking at the sleeping form in front of me. At least the drugs would keep him from feeling any pain._

_ "I'm sorry. But this is something that's been a long time coming." I heard myself whisper, unsheathing the blade. The figure in front of me turned, revealing Hanabusa's peaceful face._

I shot up out of the bed, breathing hard. The sun was almost through the sky, casting the room in a pale golden glow through the window. Looking around, I breathed a sigh of relief that it had only been a dream. Or had it…?

"Ariao? Everything alright in there?" I closed my eyes when I heard Sorin's voice from the other side of the door. Between him and my healer, Rhyl, the two would swap guard duties around the clock.

"I'm fine, Rhyl." I called, leaning against the wall near the bathroom. These nightmares had become so much more frequent the closer to winter break we got. "Is Hanabusa alright?" I could almost sense his confusion at the question.

"I just checked on him a few minutes ago. He's fast asleep." Rhyl replied slowly. I heard a soft thud and knew he had sunk back onto the floor, back against the wall.

"That's good." I sighed, closing my eyes again.

Although it was hard for me to believe, two weeks had gone by since my brother, Nire, had been killed by none other than Hanabusa. I suppose that, in a sense, was where all the nightmares kept coming from. I was afraid that some of my brother's followers would figure it out and come after us again, this time targeting Hanabusa Aido.

Taking out my notebook, I went over to the desk and opened it to the back page. Dipping the quill in the ink, I drew some lines down on the page and started to work on the song for my brother's memory.

**"He tried to kill you to gain your powers. How is it right to honor him with a song?" Hanabusa asked when I brought it up.**

** "He was still my brother. And before this…when I was younger, he was my protector. That's the part of him I want to honor." I replied. Hanabusa fell silent for a moment and I looked up at him. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and held me close for a moment.**

** "I understand. In your place, I'd probably do the same thing." His lips met mine for a brief moment before he looked out at the sunset. "Just don't let the others know. Lord Kaname wouldn't be too happy to find you doing this."**

** "Thank you." I breathed, leaning against him. I knew he was right, but I wasn't going to let that stop me.**

Unfortunately, it was easier said than done. Ever since the battle two weeks ago, Kaname had kept me close to his side, claiming that it was because he wanted to know if anything was threatening to happen. I had my suspicions however and old habits die hard. I suspected he wanted to keep an eye on me in case I either turned out like my brother or somehow managed to connect with my dead father, Rido.

_Of course, it could also be because Hanabusa and I are only ones that Sorin and Rhyl listen to and he doesn't want trouble from them._ I thought, for Hanabusa was always next to me wherever I was when we walked to class. Suddenly not feeling like putting notes on a page, I set the quill back and stood, grabbing my ocarina. Although it was early, I decided to head to the rooftop. As I pushed open the door, I saw Sorin come down the hallway with Hanabusa a pace behind him.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, meeting Hanabusa's serious expression.

"I just need to talk to you real quick." Hanabusa said, though I could tell it was forced.


End file.
